So that was a pretty great show. Intense, don’t do it all the time ok - I can’t code with that in the background
Oddly, at the end of it all, I find that I’ve gained a lot of respect for Bryan. There was quite a bit of caution and humility in his presentation, something I’ve not heard from him much (ever) at all? As a person with my own somewhat controversial and nuanced beliefs (a nerdy, sciency, drinking, swearing, devout Jesus-believer that truly loathes religious institutions yet loves the people that participate in and promulgate them), I know how fucking scary it can be to put yourself out there and tell people what you actually think, particularly when there’s so much misleading or outright incorrect information everywhere. Its not just fear of being yelled at, but the fear of losing the respect of people whose opinions you really care about. So well done Bryan!
It seems like there was two main threads running through the discussion: whether or not vaccinations are any good, and whether or not we should make every decision for ourselves vs trusting other people/institutions.
So I’m a big believer in the importance of society and community over the individual. In my mind democracy is not “I get to do whatever I want and you can’t tell me what to do” but more “I get to have input into the decisions that we as a society make for ourselves, but ultimately I’m subservient to society as a whole”. My unscientific perspective is that the former is a more American angle while the latter is more European (I’m Australian, so somewhat descended from that line). But I’m making broad generalisations there.
My first response to the “population of Europe vs my kids” question is that my kids die. Of course I don’t know how I’d respond if I actually had to make that choice, but in terms of a worldview or philosophy, that’s it. We’re a tiny part of this epic tale of humanity. We’re here for a short amount of time to give shape to a small part of that story, and then we leave. My contribution is important, but the ultimate goal is to try and make things better for everyone else, now and in the future. Yeah, that’s a bit flowery. And fuck, I’m no saint. But I try to live along those lines, and teach my kids to do the same. Basically, don’t be a dick, offer a hand when you see someone that needs it, do the best job you can every day and enjoy yourself.
And that’s why I do what the government or other organisations tell me on matters where I’m not an expert. I trust that they’re getting the right advice from people that I and everyone else agrees are expert. That’s not to say I’m never going to look into things myself, but if I see a whole bunch of people and groups for across the spectrum say “this is the right thing to do”, then I’m probably going to believe them. And for the things where I am an expert (technology), I’m going to point out things that are wrong and things that have been missed and try make sure that that moves in the right direction. And if it doesn’t go that way, then I’m going to ignore the rules, but I’m going to explain why as well.
The corollary to the above is that the information that led to the decision needs to be available, and that’s something I really struggle with with my government in particular but also with a lot of people. I don’t mind you having a completely opposite opinion to me, but tell me your thinking behind it. Help me to understand your position. You might not change my mind, but I’m sure I can learn something from you and maybe you can learn something from me too.
So pulling all that together, I’m on the side of “lets make sure this disease can’t get a foothold anywhere” rather than “we’ve got access to clean water and great healthcare, we’ll be fine”. But, as I say, I appreciate that Bryan explained his position well, and it seems clear to me that our differing opinions come from a different view of how the world (should) work rather than a binary “you’re right and I’m wrong”.